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"Seems like some poor blighters have started seeing ghosts. Ghosts! Ryan tells me it's a side effect of this Plasmid business. One poor sod's memories getting passed on to another through genetic sampling. Leaks. Lunatics. Rebellion. And now bleeding ghosts. Ain't life in Rapture grand?"

Ghosts are the leftover memories caused by a crossover of genes during genetic sampling, caused by the use of recycled ADAM harvested from corpses by Little Sisters. Ghosts feature prominently in the story of BioShock, and are sometimes equally as important as Audio Diaries. They are also a way of displaying to the player the exact repercussions caused by excessive use of ADAM.

"I thought you had forgotten about poor Jasmine, but I am so glad you didn't."

―Jasmine Jolene, backstage in Eve's Garden.

"I'm sorry Mr. Ryan, I didn't know.... I didn't know Fontaine had something to do with it, I- what? What are you doing?! No, no don't plea-! I loved you, don't, don't please, no! NO! *Screams*."

―Jasmine Jolene, in a room at Eve's Garden.

"Ghost #1: The circuit breaker's over there, yeah.Ghost #2: Why can't Ryan take care of this crap himself?Ghost #1: Because Mr. Ryan's got more important things to do than to enforce loyalty in the ranks. Say hello to Fontaine, you back-stabbing son of a bitch!Ghost #2: *Screams*."

Ghosts do not return in BioShock 2, although the theory for how they appear is used by Eleanor Lamb to provide visions to Subject Delta and communicate mentally through their shared bond.

They are characterized by a visual overlay of retinal blood vessels (Purkinje tree) and a distinct "blood pumping in the ears" sound effect. They are not stored in the Radio Messages in the player's inventory. However, once closer in proximity to Eleanor in Persephone, her messages will be transmitted over the radio.

"Father, it's me, Eleanor. I know you're awake in there, I can feel it. Mother won't be able to...to toy with you like that. Ever again. This Plasmid is for you. If I'm right, you can use it now. Please, find me!"

"Father, this ADAM you've found contains memories from all the bodies here. Normally, only a Little Sister can see them… but I can show you what Stanley's trying to hide… When mother was taken away, Stanley was left in charge of Dionysus Park… he spent all her money, threw these mad parties — it was like he was trying to ruin her…"

―Second Little Sister Gift containing Demanding Father if player rescued the Little Sisters.

"That's me, there… I confronted Stanley — said I'd tell mother what he had done. He panicked — took me away and sold me to an orphanage. I tried to fight back… I remember biting his hand, but… Father, he's the reason I was turned into a Little Sister…"

―Second round of ADAM corpses.

"With me gone, Father… Stanley just let mother's followers turn into animals. When word came that she was returning, he knew they would blame him — so he found a way to silence them all… And now he's trying to cover it up…"

―Third round of ADAM corpses.

"Mother's not lying this time, Father...he really did it...to both of us."

Although BioShock 2 does not feature ghosts as portrayed in BioShock, the launch trailer for BioShock 2 does contain a scene featuring a large assortment of ghosts dancing. As revealed by BioShock 2 Creative Director Jordan Thomas in an interview with GamesRadar, the idea of ghosts and genetic memories would have originally played a larger role in BioShock 2 as more than just cutscenes: "There were a number of playable flashbacks, which had a prequel-like flavor, but were much more subjective, like memories that you were uncovering. But they were terrible. What Rapture was like in its heyday appeals on paper, but it meant you really couldn’t play the game. Players sleepwalked through each scene, which was pretty, but not particularly convincing."[1]

A removed "Eleanor vision" that is still present in the game files reveals that the developers at one point intended Subject Delta to be Eleanor's actual biological father. It would have stated that Sofia Lamb bought Delta's DNA while he was imprisoned in Persephone. Sofia did not explicitly choose Delta; she simply needed the seed by which she could make Eleanor.[2]

The Ghost of a man comitting suicide in System Shock 2.

The second memory seen after dealing with the second Little Sister in Dionysus Park is flawed. It starts showing a regular Little Sister, supposed to be Eleanor, and ends using Eleanor's actual child model.

BioShock shares similar ghost apparitions with System Shock 2, Irrational Games' first game and the spiritual predecessor of BioShock. The reason for their apparitions aboard the Von Braun starship are however due to the protagonist's cybernetic implants, which like Plasmids upgrade his abilities. Also on the Medical Deck, a ghost is seen banging at a locked door, begging to be let in, just like at the Medical Pavilion in BioShock.